Pen to Paper
Great post over at Brain Pickings featuring Mary Gordon on the joy of notebooks and writing by hand as a creative catalyst.

A Tiny Masterpiece
Take a virtual tour of The Hailey Residence, a tiny California house designed in 1959 by modernist architect great Richard Neutra — it definitely feels far more spacious than its actual 1,129-square-foot listing would suggest.

Seeing the Subway
Interesting slide show featuring photographs of the New York subway, from 1916 to the present day.

You As Gummy Bear
Japanese bistro FabCafe has an offer that will make a gift of sweets to your sweetie a more, um, personal one — for 6,000 yen (about $65 US) they'll do a 3D scan of your body, then use a mould to create a gummy bear that looks just like you. For those who like the offbeat gift.

Breakfast as Character Development
Fun piece that looks at how a fictional character's breakfast choices give readers more insight into what makes them tick — from James Bond's fastidious 3 and one third minute boiled eggs to Queequeeg's rare beefsteaks.

I'm smitten with the wonderful Mildred's Temple Kitchen in Toronto — I was commissioned to do the illustration used as their logo (the 'goddess' image) in 2008 and finally had a chance to visit in person last weekend. The space is gorgeous, the food is amazing and the staff is gracious and lovely. Highly recommended when you're next in TO!

The fascinating sighs and whispers blogs about vintage fashion magazines and advertising — utterly addictive. Shown here is a spread from the September 1991 issue of Vogue Paris, featuring model Gisel Zelauy photographed by David Seidner and styled by Nicoletta Santoro. More from this spread here.

Located in Megève between the Swiss mountains, this beautiful modern chalet is a study in contrasts, with a traditional exterior and a modern white interior. Lovely. More at Elle España here.(photography by belén imaz)

Friday, February 22, 2013

Happy weekend! Hope it's a lovely one. We're having a rather special one — we'll be in Toronto to see the Canadian Opera Company's extraordinary multi-media version of Tristan und Isolde, first staged at the Paris Opera in 2005. Can't wait.

Located in the top floor of a lovely old brick house north of Copenhagen near the beach and forest, the relaxed apartment of Tina and Mads is frequently filled with visiting family and friends — not surprising, given its prime location and beautiful, light-filled airy rooms that are just perfect for entertaining. More here on Bo Bedre.

A Dictionary of Surrealism and the Graphic Image
Rick Poyner of Design Observer writes about his post: "This text was first published as the introduction to Uncanny: Surrealism and Graphic Design, the catalogue for an exhibition I curated in 2010 for the Moravian Gallery in Brno in the Czech Republic as part of the Brno Biennial. The catalogue is now out of print and the text is republished with thanks to the gallery." Fun fact — it includes a reference to the Surrealist's description of automatism, which inspired the name of my blog.

Atoms For Peace: 'Amok'
NPR is streaming Amok, the new album from Atoms For Peace, the side project/band of Radiohead's Thom Yorke.

Grain Cooking Chart
If you ever find yourself dithering over how much water to use when cooking quinoa, brown rice, rolled oats, faro or other grains, check out this handy infographic over at The Kitchn — super helpful guide to cooking grains.

Europe's Fashion History, Just a Click Away
Via The New York Times: "An ambitious fashion archive is being readied for its debut May 2, when Europeana Fashion will go online with about 100,000 digital elements from 22 European museums and institutions — a gallery ranging from a 1921 embroidered dress by Madeleine Vionnet to a Diana Vreeland letter to the designer Emilio Pucci." What a fantastic project.

10 Of The Best Running Movies
The Guardian picks their favourite ten running-themed films, including such classics as Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Marathon Man and Chariots of Fire.

Vegetarian Main Dishes
Delicious round up from Saveur of 24 satisfying vegetarian main dish recipes from around the world, from hearty quinoa burgers to creamy lasagne, green curry and more.